Greece to supply Ukraine with more BMP-1 IFVs and artillery ammunition.

During a visit in Athens of the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Thursday, April 6, 2023, the Greek Government promised more artillery and small arms ammunition shipments, as well as an additional delivery of Soviet-era BMP-1, tracked armored IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) coming from the Hellenic army inventory.
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Greece will supply Ukraine with additional delivery of Soviet-era BMP-1 tracked armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles coming from the Hellenic army inventory. (Screen Shot Youtube video )

Greek military authorities have disclosed that their country is also contributing trainers for Ukrainian Special Forces and tank operators as part of the extensive military aid initiative spearheaded by the United States and its allies.

In a joint statement with Reznikov, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos affirmed, "Our unwavering support for Ukraine will persist for as long as necessary, a stance we have maintained from the very beginning."

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Greece has provided military aid in the form of infantry fighting vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, and ammunition. In October 2022, Greece delivered 40 BMP-1A1s as part of the 'Ringtausch' program in exchange for 40 Marder IFVs.

In February 2022, Greece delivered 815 RPG-18s as part of its anti-tank weapons aid. Along with this, the country also delivered 20,000 Kalashnikov rifles to support Ukrainian forces. In addition to these, Greece also delivered an unknown quantity of 122mm rocket artillery rounds for BM-21 and RM-70 MRLs.

The Greek government has also procured 155mm ammunition through the European Defense Agency, which is yet to be delivered. This military aid from Greece is aimed at strengthening the Ukrainian military in its fight against the ongoing conflict.

The Hellenic Army adopted its first batch of 501 BMP-1A1 Ost infantry fighting vehicles from Germany between 1993 and 1994. These vehicles underwent some upgrades to meet the standards of the Hellenic Army, including the installation of M2 Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns and modifications to the gunner's hatch. By 2006, there were 377 BMP-1A1 Ost IFVs in active service with the Hellenic Army.

In general, the Greek BMP-1s have maintained the armament of the Soviet BMP-1, which consists of a 73mm smoothbore gun capable of firing high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) rounds, as well as armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds. One 7.62mm machine gun is mounted coaxially on the right side of the main gun.

In May 2022, it was announced that Greece would engage in a vehicle exchange program with Germany. As part of this program, Germany would transfer its stored Marder 1A3s to Greece in exchange for an equal number of BMP-1s from the Hellenic Army. These BMP-1s would be delivered to aid Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion in 2022.